Loving Stray Dogs, One Day At A Time

Stray dogs or sometimes referred to as Soi dogs have been an ongoing issue throughout Thailand for decades now. They are common throughout the kingdom in rural areas as well as urban centers. Generally Thai people are tolerant of them but many are not. Those not tolerant of these stray dogs have been found the beat, stab, poison, burn and generally just abuse these dogs, sometimes causing irreversible damage.

The growing concerns over stray dogs is starting to be discussed by governing bodies but it’s still very much in it’s infancy and we will not see any real government sponsored progress for years to come. This means it’s up to the private sector to supply these dogs with treatment, care and trying to educate the youth on proper behavior towards stray animals. In Koh Lanta one such woman is doing just that, Junie Kovacs.

Junie came to Koh Lanta originally to found a cooking school, Time for Lime which she opened due to her love for Thai cuisine and her desire to share this love with others. Soon after opening her doors she began to notice the huge number of stray dogs and cats on Koh Lanta. This being the place she was now to call home and work she knew something must be done about this issue. Knowing that Koh Lanta has nothing in terms of animal care centers, she would have to build it herself. So thats what she did exactly, with the profits from running her Time for Lime cooking school and also a few donations for local businesses she was able to build a proper shelter and offer a place to care for dogs in a safe and comfortable environment.

Understanding one of the main issues with this amount of stray dogs on Koh Lanta is simply the lack of sterilization, so one of the important issues was addresses in the planning stages sourcing a reliable vet to perform the surgeries as well as building a dedicated room for the procedures. Since Lanta Animal Welfare opening it’s doors there has been a 90% reduction in stray dogs and cats found throughout Koh Lanta.

Focusing intensely on sterilization and after seeing the dramatic effects of it on Koh Lanta Junie decided to offer this as a mobile clinic in outlying districts of Krabi and beyond. These mobile clinics have been extremely successful sterilizing up to 40 animals in a single day.

It all comes down to sterilization, if you reduce the ability for irresponsible dogs and cats to procreate then the number of offspring born into less then suitable homes will reduce, it’s that simple. Sterilization is not always the correct choice for pet owners and this is up to the owners themselves but when it comes to overpopulating of homeless dogs, this is the only way.

Opening their doors in 2007 Lanta Animal Welfare has since become a landmark on Koh Lanta and beyond. Gaining the support for many of the small and large businesses on Koh Lanta and even partnering with such organization such as Soi Dogs on many of their mobile clinics.

Sterilization is not all that Lanta Animal Welfare does. Due to the abuse on dogs on Koh lanta Lanta Animal Welfare offers extensive medical care and monitoring for any attack or injury one could imaging. This has meant extra veterinary staff and many volunteers on hand to help change bandages, feed and water animals, and also monitor their improvement. In fact most the whole center is basically run by volunteers, if it were not for the hard working determination of the volunteers from all over the world, Lanta Animal Welfare would not be possible.

Lanta Animal Welfare is a non profit private organization meaning all of it’s funding comes directly from private donations and from Junie’s Time for Lime cooking school. This is rather impressive as there are over 50 animals being cared for at any one time at Lanta Animal Welfare, all of them require medicine, food and care every day.

Lanta Animal Welfare has made some impressive changes over the year for stray dogs and cats on Koh Lanta and beyond, helping not only the animals themselves but also the perception of how a dog or cat should be treated. Now sponsoring a new building project, the kitty city which will be a large outdoor cat enclosure. this new kitty city will be built again totally on donations from local businesses and private donors. The kitty city is designed to help allow more cats to be housed on site at Lanta Animal Welfare while also allowing local schools to come, see, interact with the cats and learn from Junie and her volunteers.

Lanta Animal Welfare has been changing lives for over 6 years now but not only for the animals they take in and treat. Offering people from around the world who want to adopt one or more of the animals at the center the opportunity to do so. Lanta Animal Welfare also provides all proper documentation for the animals, they also arrange transportation. This offers the dogs and cats the chance at a new live, with a family who loves and cares for them while also giving a family who wants to change a life and better this town families the chance to do so.

Lanta Animal Welfare is changing lives everyday, if your interested in becoming a part of their ever growing and dynamic team you can call them:

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